In a world where marketing is increasingly defined by digital access, how do you reach consumers in places with no smartphones, no TV, and no internet? In this exclusive interview with Brij Pahwa for e4m and MartechAI.com, Gunjan Khetan, Chief Marketing Officer at Perfetti Van Melle India, explains how his team built a campaign around AI that reached deep into rural India. From IVR-based tongue twisters to real-time media bidding, he shares the possibilities AI is opening up for low-ticket FMCG brands and why the modern marketer must evolve faster than ever before.

You recently ran a campaign targeting tier 2 and 3 markets using Bharat GPT. How did AI power that campaign?
At Perfetti, we have always focused on breakthrough advertising. But in rural India, where TV reach is limited and smartphone usage is below 50 percent in states like UP and Bihar, conventional media cannot go far. These are strong markets for us. So we partnered with WPP and Google to use Bharat GPT, which allowed us to engage audiences without smartphones or internet access. It worked like a modern IVR. People would either receive or return a call, and an AI-powered voice on the other end would speak to them in their local dialect.

This campaign used tongue twisters to drive interaction. The AI gave users two choices: play the tongue twister game or ask a question. If someone asked, for example, when the rain would come, the AI would respond with something fun and brand-linked like, “Rain will come when you start enjoying Center Fruit.” What made this work was the AI model’s ability to speak not just Hindi but hyperlocal dialects, including variations across Eastern and Western UP. That level of contextual relevance made a huge difference.

That sounds like a great example of AI as a mass enabler. But FMCG hasn't traditionally adopted AI quickly. Why is that?
The nature of FMCG makes it more complex. We are not a direct-to-consumer business, and our SKUs are priced at ₹1 or ₹5. That limits what we can do in terms of performance marketing or ROI-led digital targeting. That said, there is a growing recognition in the industry that not all marketing has to show direct conversion. Some budgets are meant for brand building and long-term engagement. The Bharat GPT campaign was one of those. The goal was not to drive sales instantly but to reconnect with a rural audience that often gets missed. For performance-led marketing, this kind of model may not work, but for brand recall and loyalty, it is very effective.

What kind of results did the campaign deliver?
We ran a brand lift study, and the results were extremely positive. Engagement was high, and the brand recall numbers were solid. What we are now focusing on is scalability. How do we bring down the cost of this kind of platform? How do we expand it to more brands? These are the questions we are working through. As more brands start using such formats, the ecosystem will develop and costs will reduce.

Are you using AI to identify growth markets or make strategic decisions?
It depends on the prompt you feed into the model. Some of our brand managers use AI to track regional demand and monitor local trends. Others use it to identify content formats that are going viral. One space where we have successfully deployed AI is media cost optimization. We have moved from hourly bidding to real-time bidding on platforms like Google. AI allows us to optimize ad spend minute by minute, and that has made a significant impact.

Where do you see MarTech and AI going next? What is on your wishlist?
I would love to see more media planning and content development become AI-led and in-house. One big frontier is TV. If traditional TV planning could be integrated with AI, not just connected TV, it would be a game changer. Imagine if I could know which segment is watching a specific program at a specific time and respond immediately. That would transform how media is bought. Also, if I spot a trend at 8 am, I want to develop content by 10, target it by 12, and optimize it by evening. That is the direction I believe we are headed.

How has your role changed in this new AI-first marketing landscape?
It has changed entirely. When I started out in the early 2000s, we would do one campaign every few years, put it on TV, and monitor GRPs. Today’s brand managers are juggling much more: content, media, influencers, analytics, and AI. Their job is significantly tougher than what it was in our time. The only way to stay ahead is to keep learning and evolving. Upskilling is not optional anymore. I remember a senior leader once said there will be no brand managers in the future, only brand custodians and performance marketers. At the time it felt provocative, but in many ways that prediction is already coming true.

Doesn’t AI make things easier in some ways, like with social listening or analytics?
It does make certain tasks easier. Data crunching, for example, is much faster. But now the challenge is the volume of insights coming your way. Earlier, you had to work hard to extract meaning from limited data. Now you are flooded with insights from all directions. The job is to choose wisely and act fast. So while one part has become easier, another part has become more difficult.

Which campaign at Perfetti has been your personal favorite?
That is hard to answer. It is like picking your favorite child. But some of the older campaigns really stand out for me. Center Shock, for instance, or the “Dimag Ki Batti Jala De” campaign. Those were bold and culturally sticky. I remember being in the US a few years ago, and a bunch of us expats were watching Perfetti ads on YouTube just for fun. That kind of legacy work creates deep brand resonance, and as a marketer, you always wish you had worked on something like that.

Are you using any MarTech stack in-house, or is it all via partners?
Mostly through our media agency, WPP, and external partners. The stack changes based on the objective. For example, for the Bharat GPT campaign, we used a completely custom build. There is no single solution that fits all use cases.

Where do you stand on the personalization versus privacy debate?
It is an ongoing conversation, not just in India but globally. As a company headquartered in Europe, we have to be aligned with GDPR and other international standards. At the same time, we follow Indian regulations as well. Our approach is to always put consumer trust and data protection first. We review our practices regularly and adapt to evolving guidelines.

You are also an angel investor. Have you come across any startups in this space that excite you?
Not yet, but I am open. If someone is building something interesting in the AI or media space, I would love to hear from them. They can reach out on LinkedIn. If I find it compelling and I have the bandwidth, I would definitely be interested.

Globally, FMCG brands are adopting AI faster. When do you think India will catch up?
We are already seeing strong movement. Our consumer base is young, connected, and digitally aware. We are investing in both traditional and digital media, and we use influencers actively. AI is something we are exploring deeply, but there is still work to do in terms of understanding how much data to feed the models and how to remain compliant with privacy standards. The intent is there, and the momentum is growing.

Will AI skills matter more than MBAs in future hiring decisions?
It is not one or the other. Everyone in sales, legal, production, and marketing needs to be upskilling in AI. That knowledge gives people an edge and helps the organization move forward. We do not have all the answers, but we know we need to keep learning.

Where do you see the future of marketing heading now?
Marketing is not going anywhere. As long as brands exist, they will need to communicate and connect. But the tools and platforms will keep changing. Marketers who embrace that change will lead. The rest will be left behind.

If not marketing, what would you have done?
I think I would be behind the camera. I love the world of film and advertising production. I do not know if I have the skill for it, but I find the creative process incredibly romantic.